Learn British Sign Language
Our British Sign Language classes take place at lunch times and evenings. These are aimed at the general public, offering the opportunity to study a language alongside university students and staff.
Learn British Sign Language
Recognised as a language in its own right, British Sign Language (BSL) is an official language of England, Wales and Scotland. Learning BSL not only aids communication with Deaf people but also helps to build confidence through facial expression and body language.
Our BSL courses are taught through immersion, a unique experience that aims to enhance your learning. You will practice in a fun and natural learning environment, and gradually progress through weekly recaps and feedback. Our highly-experienced tutors act as role models and help you to immerse in the language culture and complexity.
We offer qualifications in BSL at Levels 1 and 2. All courses and assessments are accredited by Signature – a recognised awarding body offering nationally accredited qualifications. These cover the whole range of languages and communication methods used by Deaf and Deafblind people.
Assessment fees are not included in tuition fees and must be paid separately if you wish to take the assessment.
Join a welcoming environment that will help you communicate with confidence and enjoy your BSL learning experience.
Enrolment for BSL courses will open again in summer 2025 for classes starting in October.
Course and assessment fees
BSL Level 1 (inlcuding intensive course):
- Unit 101 – £200 (£190 concessions), £20 assessment fee
- Unit 102 – £200 (£190 concessions), £44 assessment fee
- Unit 103 – £245 (£235 concessions), £44 assessment fee
BSL Level 2:
- Unit 201 – £290 (£280 concessions), £49 assessment fee
- Unit 202 – £290 (£280 concessions), £60 assessment fee
- Unit 203 – £350 (£340 concessions), £60 assessment fee
BSL Level 1
This qualification is designed to enable you to communicate with Deaf people in BSL on a range of topics that involve simple, everyday language use.
The BSL Level 1 course includes three units – 101, 102 and 103.
You are assessed by practical exercises. The assessment for unit 101 takes place in the final week of the unit. The assessments for units 102 and 103 take place during the final two weeks of unit 103.
Participation in assessments is not mandatory to progress through the course units, but is necessary in order to obtain Signature's accredited BSL Level 1 qualification and progress to BSL Level 2.
Read the course description and unit details, including course options, dates and fees.
- Course description
This course provides an introduction to British Sign Language. Emphasis will be placed on signing, and on understanding everyday conversation. The course aims to give you sufficient language to be able to deal with simple situations including finger spelling, family and social arrangements, directions, time and numbers, travel and transport, food and drink, shopping, and holidays and leisure.
You will be given an insight into the culture of the deaf world within the framework of your language studies.
Course learning outcomes
By the end of the course you will have acquired basic sign language skills and be able to sign slowly to get a message across in a variety of situations. You will be able to comprehend and respond to simple sign language.
Teaching and learning methods
Communicative language teaching, particularly tutor-led group work, will guide you through the basic structures and functions of the beginners' syllabus. You will be encouraged to develop basic communicative skills.
- Unit 101 – Introduction to BSL
Topics include meeting people, using numbers, weather, transport and directions.
Lunchtime courses (1pm to 3pm): Mondays (starting 30 September 2024) or Wednesdays (starting 2 October 2024)
Evening courses (6pm to 8pm): Mondays (starting 30 September 2024)
Duration: 10 weeks
Course price: £200 (£190 concessions)
Assessment fees: £20. Takes place in week 10.
- Unit 102 – Conversational BSL
Topics include at home, people, animals and objects, using numbers, interests and activities, weather.
Lunchtime courses (1pm to 3pm): Mondays (starting 6 January 2025) or Wednesdays (starting 8 January 2025)
Evening courses (6pm to 8pm): Mondays (starting 6 January 2025)
Duration: 10 weeks
Course price: £200 (£190 concessions)
Assessment: £44. Takes place in week 10 of Unit 103.
- Unit 103 – BSL at School, College or Work
Topics include getting around, exchanging information, refreshments and using numbers.
Lunchtime courses (1pm to 3pm): Mondays (starting 17 March 2025) or Wednesdays (starting 19 March 2025)
Evening courses (6pm to 8pm): Mondays (starting 17 March 2025)
Duration: 12 weeks (Easter break: 12 to 27 April 2025. There are Bank Holidays on Monday 6 and Monday 26 May. Monday classes that would fall on these dates will instead take place on the Tuesday afterwards.)
Course price: £245 (£235 concessions)
Assessment: £44. Takes place in week 12.
BSL Level 1 intensive course
We are also running BSL level 1 as an intensive evening course, run over fewer days with longer hours:
- Unit 101: 10 weeks, on Wednesdays starting 2 October 2024, 6pm to 8pm.
- Unit 102: 7 weeks, on Wednesdays starting 29 January 2025, 6pm to 8.30pm
- Unit 103: 11 weeks, on Wednesdays starting 19 March 2025, 6pm to 8.30pm (this includes 4 weeks of preparation and assessments for Units 102 and 103). There is an Easter break between 12 April and 4 May 2025.
BSL Level 2
This qualification is designed to enable you to develop an ability to communicate with Deaf people using BSL in a range of familiar contexts, participating in longer and more open-ended exchanges than at Level 1. The BSL Level 2 course comprises three units: 201, 202 and 203. The course will develop functional communication in BSL about a range of real life, routine and daily experiences. You will be able to deal with most routine language tasks and have sufficient grasp of grammar to cope with some non-routine tasks. You are assessed by practical exercises that will take place during the final two weeks of unit 203. These exercises are not mandatory to progress through the course units but are necessary in order to obtain Signature's accredited BSL Level 2 qualification.
Read the course description and unit details, including course options, dates and assessment prices.
- Course description
This course provides a more in depth study of British Sign language. Emphasis will be placed on signing, and on understanding everyday conversation. The course aims to give you sufficient language to be able to deal with simple situations.
There are 4 themes in this qualification:
- everyday conversation
- eating and drinking
- shopping and spending
- travel and holidays.
In order to develop a suitable range of vocabulary for this level, you will study the first theme, and two more from the remaining three themes. You will also develop an insight into the culture of the deaf world within the framework of your language studies.
Course learning outcomes
By the end of the course you’ll have broadened your knowledge of structure and vocabulary for basic situations. You will be able to take part in ‘free practice’ exercises. Your comprehension of sign stimuli will be competent within the context of the syllabus. You will have gained a better appreciation of the relationship between the language, history and culture of deaf people. You will have developed greater confidence and enhanced autonomy in your language learning.
Teaching and learning methods
Communicative language teaching, particularly tutor-led group work, will guide you through the basic structures and functions of the beginners' syllabus. You will be encouraged to develop basic communicative skills.
- Unit 201 – BSL Receptive Skills
Evening courses: Wednesdays (starting 2 October 2024), 6pm-9pm
Duration: 10 weeks
Course price: £290 (£280 concessions)
Assessment fees: £49 (takes place in week 12 of Unit 203)
- Unit 202 – BSL Productive Skills
Evening courses: Wednesdays (starting 8 January 2025), 6pm-9pm
Duration: 10 weeks
Course price: £290 (£280 concessions)
Assessment: £60 (takes place in week 12 of Unit 203)
- Unit 203 – BSL Conversational Skills
Evening courses: Wednesdays (starting 19 March 2025), 6pm-9pm
Duration: 12 weeks
Course price: £350 (£340 concessions)
Assessment: £60
Terms and conditions
If you’re thinking of enrolling we recommend you read our full terms and conditions.
Get in touch
Use our enquiry form if you have a question about any of our language short courses.
Facilities
If you are a student, a member of staff or an alumnus at the University of Sussex, you are already entitled to use the facilities at the Resource Centre. If you are not a member or alumnus of the university, you may be entitled to access to some of the facilities as a language short course learner. Please contact the Resource Centre for specific details – email lang.centre@sussex.ac.uk or call +44(0) 1273 678006.
The Resource Centre offers excellent facilities for language teaching and learning, including:
- workstations where learners can study via audio and video recordings
- facilities to sample live television by satellite from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia and England
- a large bank of resource materials in many world languages
- a wide selection of foreign language films
- a browsing section with newspapers, magazines and a learner-friendly catalogue to consult.
Our teaching rooms are equipped with projectors and up-to-date audio/visual equipment.
Learners will be given advice on how best to use the resources to meet their own needs
We welcome learners with special requirements and request that you discuss these with us before joining a course. Should wheelchair access be required, suitable rooms will be allocated. It is possible to provide hearing loops in certain classrooms. Please feel free to contact us and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.
Your course
We encourage you to take part in any discussion on the aims and objectives of the class at the start of the course. This is essential for you and the tutor to work out a suitable programme. Take part in class activities where possible, and don’t worry about making mistakes. It’s also important to complete any work set between sessions.
Remember you are learning as a group. Although the tutor will try to meet everyone’s needs, this is not always possible.
You should try to be on time and attend all your classes so you can keep up with the group and make the most of the course. Attendance on the language courses is not compulsory, but your progress will be limited if you do not attend regularly or complete the tasks set between classes.
If you cannot make it to one of the classes, please let your tutor know by email. Alternatively you can email languageshortcourses@sussex.ac.uk and we can inform your tutor.
It is not always possible for tutors to provide copies of work that has been missed through absence from a class.
We will arrange extra sessions to accommodate any cancelled classes due to Bank Holidays and/or unforeseen circumstances (such as sickness or adverse weather). We will use either your University of Sussex email or Canvas to contact you, so please make sure you check both regularly during the course.
Important: Brighton & Hove Albion FC will be playing home games on evenings during term time. On these dates a number of car parks on the south side of campus are regularly used for parking by Brighton and Hove Albion FC season-ticket holders for the Amex Community Stadium.
Traffic to the University during these dates is expected to be very high, especially in the evenings. We strongly recommend you to use the bus or train to get to campus on these dates.
Find out more information, including a full timetable of football games and other events held at the Amex Community Stadium at Falmer.
Contact
If you have any queries, email languageshortcourses@sussex.ac.uk or call +44(0) 1273 872575.
School of Media, Arts and Humanities Office
Arts A07
University of Sussex
Brighton
BN1 9RH